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Making State Grants Easier to Navigate, One Cover Sheet at a Time
Top Takeaway: The Minnesota Office of Grants Management releases new grant RFP template, saving nonprofits valuable time and resources. A new approach to state grant RFPs has arrived to help Minnesota nonprofits spend less time sorting through state grant opportunities and more time working towards their missions. Following passage and enactment of HF 4462 / SF…
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MCN Member Spotlight: Northfield Union of Youth
This is part of a series highlighting MCN members across the state, featuring a vast array of nonprofit focus areas, and celebrating the myriad ways nonprofits enrich lives. A safe space to hang out, play games, eat dinner, talk with your friends. It might sound simple, but the space that the Northfield Union of Youth…
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Is state grant oversight creating unnecessary burdens?
Top takeaway: Share your experience; MCN is collecting examples of state grant oversight that has caused significant administrative work, costs, or delays. Minnesota nonprofits want state agencies to protect public dollars and prevent fraud, and we know that accountability works best when oversight is reasonable, risk-based, and connected to the purpose of the funding. We’re…
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Help shape MCN conferences: 2027 RFPs now open
Top takeaway: RFPs for all four 2027 conferences are now open, and MCN is seeking dynamic presenters like YOU to share your ideas. MCN’s four conferences bring together thousands of nonprofit leaders, staff, and board members for day-long, in-depth learning surrounding timely topics, strategies, and research facing nonprofits today and in the future. But these professional development opportunities would…
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2026 Minnesota Nonprofit Economy Report shows a sector holding steady
The 2026 Minnesota Nonprofit Economy Report is here, analyzing the economic performance, workforce trends, and wage growth within Minnesota’s nonprofit sector. In addition to providing critical services, this report shows that nonprofits play a key role in Minnesota as employers and driving economic activity. This report is the most comprehensive examination of the economic impact…
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Action alert: Oppose sweeping changes to federal grantmaking
Top takeaway: A new OMB proposal would create significant financial risk and instability for federal grantees, including nonprofits, making it more difficult to provide vital services to communities. On May 29, 2026, the U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) proposed sweeping changes to overhaul the rules, known as the Uniform Guidance, governing federal grants,…
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MCN Member Spotlight: Oasis Central Minnesota
This is part of a series highlighting MCN members across the state, featuring a vast array of nonprofit focus areas, and celebrating the myriad ways nonprofits enrich lives. Many people assume that small towns don’t struggle with homelessness, oftentimes simply because homelessness is less visible in these rural areas. It tends to look more like…
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How is your nonprofit doing? Take 2026 Current Conditions Survey
Top takeaway: Take MCN’s 2026 Current Conditions Survey by July 24 to help identify current sector challenges and opportunities. Participating in MCN’s 2026 Current Conditions Survey is one way you can help your organization, MCN, key stakeholders, and fellow nonprofits understand the current state of Minnesota nonprofits. In our work to help nonprofits meet your mission, MCN…
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MCN president takes sabbatical: time for rest & reflection
From MCN’s president & CEO, Nonoko Sato: I wanted to share that the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits Board of Directors approved a three-month sabbatical for me this summer. Due to office closures and some previously scheduled work travel, my last day in the office will be June 22, and I will return October 5. I…
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A Session of Scrutiny: Fraud, Funding, and the Future of Nonprofit Policy in Minnesota
Top Takeaway: MCN tracked 100+ bills during the course of the 2026 Legislative Session, and we’re here to share the results of proposals that could affect nonprofits, in areas including fraud prevention and grantmaking. The 2026 legislative session concluded last month, defined by narrow majorities, bipartisan dependency, and heightened external scrutiny. With a 50/50 split…
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